Tours
Tours
Crystal Bridges’ tour program offers a range of options for individuals and groups of various types. Our School Tours are available for students in K-12 schools (public or private) from anywhere in the US. Guided Group Tours can be arranged for groups of 10 to 60 guests, and may include box lunches or a seated lunch in Eleven, the Museum’s restaurant.
Audio Tours of the Museum’s permanent collection galleries and select temporary exhibitions are available through the Museum’s free app, which can be downloaded to your Apple or Android device; or you may check out a device with the app pre-loaded from Guest Services in the main lobby at no cost. In addition, a selection of themed, self-guided tour brochures is available in the main lobby.
Drop-In Tours
Drop-in Tours are one-hour guided tours offered daily and led by a trained volunteer Tour Guide. Drop-in Tours are free and no registration is required to participate, just meet your Tour Guide at the designated location about 5 minutes prior to the scheduled start time. Several different themed tours are available to choose from, ranging from highlights of Crystal Bridges’ permanent collection to temporary exhibition tours, architectural tours, and seasonal outdoor Trail Experiences.
American Sign Language interpretation is included on the Collection Highlights tour on the third Saturday of every month.
Please contact [email protected] or call the museum at 479-657-2335 for more information.
Art Cart
Find Art Carts in the galleries for an interactive exploration of an artwork. Cart Guides will have touchable material, activities, and a whole lot of interesting information to share with guests of all ages.
Learn more about the architecture of Crystal Bridges. This hour-long Architecture Tour will introduce you to the unique architectural features of Moshe Safdie’s design, and provide insights into some of the special challenges the museum’s site posed to engineers. Note: This is an indoor/outdoor tour, weather permitting. An alternate indoor route is offered in case of inclement weather. No tickets necessary. Each tour accommodates a maximum of 15 participants. Tour begins in the lower lobby. Please arrive five minutes in advance.
Sponsored by Ken and Liz Allen, Chip and Susan Chambers, The Harrison and Rhonda French Family, and Tartaglino Richards Family Foundation in memory of Maurice Jennings
Join this tour to receive a fun, general overview of the art, nature, and architecture of Crystal Bridges. Each group discusses highlights of the architectural design, discovers one the Museum’s most iconic paintings, and concludes with a short walk to Crystal Spring, the natural spring from which Crystal Bridges takes its name. Meet in the lower lobby.
Enjoy a stroll through the permanent collection. This tour visits some of the best-known names in American art. Typical stops might include, Louise Nevelson’s Night Zag Wall, and Kerry James Marshall’s Our Town among others.No tickets necessary. Each tour accommodates a maximum of 15 participants. Tour begins in the lower lobby. Please arrive five minutes in advance. Free, no registration required.
The Collection Highlights Tours on the third Saturday of each month features American Sign Language interpretation.
Every painting tells a story, and so do the frames that surround them. Join this tour to explore the changing tastes and design of selected American frames in Crystal Bridges’ permanent collection. Each group will discuss the techniques of framing, as well as the history of frames in America from Colonial to Early 20th Century. Tour begins in the lower lobby. Please arrive five minutes in advance.
Free, no registration required.
Accompany one of our amazing Gallery Guides to explore six works from the museum’s Contemporary Gallery. These artworks lead some to wonder, what makes this special? From Abstract Expressionism to minimalism and conceptual art, artists express their ideas in lots of ways, and this tour will dive into what those artists were thinking.
Join a Gallery Guide and discover the history of some of the landscape paintings in the museum’s permanent collection. Please arrive 5 minutes in advance.
Learn more about the fascinating works of sculpture in the museum’s collection and the artists who created them. The experience highlights five to six works. Depending on the weather, this tour can take place either indoors or outdoors. If held outdoors, the tour follows a paved path.Tour begins in Lower Lobby. Please arrive 5 minutes in advance.
Free, no registration required.
Learn more about some of the fascinating female artists in Crystal Bridges’ collection. A Gallery Guide will introduce you to some works by artists you might not be familiar with plus some well-known favorites
No tickets necessary. Each tour accommodates a maximum of 15 participants. Tour begins in the lower lobby. Please arrive five minutes in advance.
Audio Tour
Let our audio tour guide you through the galleries. Numerous tours are available, including the permanent collection, installations, conservation, and architecture, as well as temporary exhibitions. Stops on the tours include a high-resolution image, full label copy, and audio or video clips featuring curators, preparators, or conservators. The Crystal Bridges app is sponsored by Cox Communication.
Outdoor Audio Tour
This free app for Apple and Android devices offers interactive trail maps, art and plant guides, and audio-tour information about many of the fascinating features of Crystal Bridges’ grounds. Users may select favorite features to create a personalized tour, and upload and share photos of their own discoveries on the Crystal Bridges trails!
Group Tours
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is pleased to offer opportunities for your group to tour our Museum and its wonderful trails and grounds.
School Tours
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art offers a variety of tours to engage your students and connect to classroom practice. Read the descriptions below and select the tour that works best for your student and classroom needs.
